Kanohi
| function=Grant Various Power(s) to Their Wearers| location= , , | pron=kuh-NOH-hee}} Kanohi are objects that grant powers to a being when they are worn, named after the Matoran word for "mask". Kanohi are magnetically attached to their wearers: usually Matoran, Toa, and Turaga, sustaining all three. The Matoran have always had need of Kanohi; the first masks were created by the Great Beings for the Matoran; afterward, Mata Nui taught them to make masks on their own. On Metru Nui, masks were made from Kanoka. When a mask-wearer has their Kanohi removed they suffer weakness - Toa and other beings feel weak and dizzy, Turaga suffer extreme weakness, and Matoran lapse into a coma-like state if the mask is not replaced within an extended period of time. Kanohi have a tendency to retain an imprint of their owner's conscience and identity within themselves for a short time after being removed, allowing any mask to be infused with great amounts of a life-force to resurrect the deceased mask-wearer. However, after an extended period of time, the imprint will fade away. Forms There are five known power levels for a Kanohi, the most common being the powerless masks worn by Matoran, made from level 1-6 Kanoka. The process used to make the mask causes the energy to leak out, which is why these masks have no powers. However, they are needed for Matoran to live and function properly. Although Matoran can sense the power in a Great or Noble mask, they lack the mental discipline needed to access its' powers. Matoran can customize their masks, making modifications such as adding a scope. Matoran or Noble masks can become Great masks when they come in contact with Toa Energy. This happens whenever a Toa is transformed from a Matoran. Another type of Kanohi, "Copper" masks also exist, being powerless trophies awarded to the winners of sports on Mata Nui and Metru Nui. Turaga wear Noble masks made from level 7 Kanoka, and have access to the mask's power. Toa and other beings wear Great masks, which offer a stronger mask power, and are made from level 8 Kanoka disks, though they may still use a Noble Mask with ease. The powers of Great masks can also be Amplified by the infusion of Gether shards. There was also a powerful collection of masks called Golden Kanohi, which had the powers of the masks worn by the Toa Mata: Shielding, X-Ray Vision, Speed, Water Breathing, Strength, and Levitation. They were only in existence for a short time after all six Kanohi had been found by their respective Toa. They were stored inside the Kini-Nui, and when the six Kanohi were placed on the Suva, they activated the release of a Golden Kanohi. The Golden Kanohi were later transformed into Kanohi Nuva upon being submerged in Energized Protodermis. There exist some extraordinary Kanohi that possess powers far beyond a normal mask; these are known as Legendary Masks. Only five are known so far, the Kanohi Dezaelus, Legendary Mask of Chaos, the Kanohi Ignika, Legendary Mask of Life, the Kanohi Pauti, Legendary Mask of Creation, the Kanohi Vahi, Legendary Mask of Time, and the now destroyed Kanohi Vahualsi, Legendary Mask of Time Travel. These masks are sought by many, such as the Piraka, who wanted the Mask of Life to gain wealth and power, and the Barraki, who believed it could restore them to their original forms. The only Legendary Mask to have been made from Kanoka is the Vahi, which was created from six level 9 disks fused into one. It is impossible to create Noble or Matoran versions of these Kanohi because any weaker form of the mask cannot contain the power within. Organic Kanohi The Kanohi that the Toa Inika bore were organic, as well as sentient. This was a result of the Matoran/Toa transformation; the masks given to the Toa Inika by the Maker Karzahni were altered by the Red Star. The masks could communicate with the Toa Inika through pain, this being the reason why Hahli had headaches whenever she was near the Kanohi Ignika. This is also the reason why the Toa Inika took little time to learn how to turn on their masks compared to previous Toa; their Kanohi helped them. A Toa of Murtua named Atora also wore an organic and sentient mask that was altered by the Red Star, meanwhile the Kanohi worn by the Toa Sepţiu are sentient, but not organic. Fused Kanohi Sometimes, bearers of a Kanohi undergo changes, and their masks fuse to their faces. In most cases, such as the Toa Hordika and Nidhiki, the wearer loses access to the mask powers. However, when the Maker Karzahni was mutated by the Pit Mutagen, his Olisi kept its' powers. Kanohi of Karzahni While in his Realm, instead of doing his job and fixing injured Matoran, Karzahni rebuilt them and gave them Kanohi of various shapes. Some examples of the Kanohi he built are the ones worn by the Matoran that lived in his domain and are now living in Metru Nui. Mask Making On Metru Nui, Kanohi masks were made from Kanoka by Mask Makers in Ta-Metru. The type of Kanoka and its' power level determined what kind of mask it would be, and the creators could also combine Kanoka to create different masks. (A chart of which Kanoka form what Kanohi can be found here.) Level 1-6 Kanoka are formed into powerless masks, 7 into Noble, and 8 into Great. The reason for these distinctions is that power leaks from the Kanoka during Kanohi creation, thus allowing only masks made from higher level Kanoka to have powers. To forge a Kanohi mask, the Kanoka would be melted down and reforged or carved into the desired shape--the masks could not be flawed or else their powers, if the finished product was meant to have any, would continually leak out. Flawed masks were melted down to make more raw Protodermis. Masks would be painted with a coloring additive after being made, to differentiate power level. Matoran masks had silver paint added to the top half, Noble had black paint added, and Great masks would remain one full color. On Mata Nui, this coloring eventually faded away from sun exposure. Certain devices can be added to Kanohi after the mask is made, such as the telescopic eyepiece commonly added to the Akaku, as well as during its' creation. These additions can also later be removed without damaging the mask. There are other ways to make Kanohi, as Kanohi predated mask makers. Mask making on Metru Nui stopped temporarily while it was was deserted. However, it has resumed since the return of the Matoran. Other places where masks were made include the islands of Artakha, Karzahni, Kemet Nui, and Terra Nui, to name a few. It is also possible to make masks out of purified Protodermis and skip the Kanoka stage. The colors of Great and Noble masks are dependent upon their wearers. When Kanohi are made originally, they adopt a grayish color which they keep until they are worn. At that point the mask adopts a color with respect to the wearer. Matoran masks, having no power, will not change color at all, making it necessary to paint them in their respective colors. There are some special cases for very rare and powerful masks, however. The Golden Kanohi, Avohkii, Ignika, and Vahi are all exceptional cases. When made, they had specific colors "given" to them already. It is not known why these masks had color from the time of their creation. Known Kanohi Noble Kanohi Noble Kanohi are made from a level 7 Kanoka and possess weakened versions of the powers of their Great Mask counterparts. They are also formed when a Toa becomes a Turaga, during which their Kanohi transforms into a Noble one. There can be noble forms of any mask, except Legendary masks or fused Kanohi worn by Toa Kaita. Great Kanohi Great Kanohi are the most powerful normal masks. They are made from level 8 Kanoka. They bestow any of a variety of powers depending on the type of mask, upon the user, like shielding, telepathy, stealth, telekinesis, or levitation. They can be in any shape or form, but throughout the Matoran Universe, mask makers have adopted specific shapes for certain powers, in order to avoid confusion if a Toa is in dire need of a mask. While Toa are the most well-known beings to use masks, many other Sapient Species are known to be able to use mask powers. Amplified Kanohi A few Great Kanohi have had their powers amplified with Gether shards though these masks are more rare than the ultra-rare Gether themselves. Kanohi Nuva More powerful than normal Great masks, they were created when the Toa Mata were immersed in Energized Protodermis and became the Toa Nuva. When a mask is immersed in Energized Protodermis, it will become a Kanohi Nuva if it is destined to do so. The only Kanohi Nuva in existence are those belonging to the Toa Nuva, the Toa Artakha, and the Toa of Murtua known as Xinlo. There are nine types of Kanohi Nuva known to exist. A Kanohi Nuva has differences from its' regular version, such as: the user can grant their power to ones surrounding them, and their powers are stronger and can last longer. Legendary Kanohi These Kanohi are vastly more powerful and difficult to control than other masks. If destroyed, they would unleash their powers, resulting in the break-down of a fundamental force of the Matoran Universe. Each of those that remain in existence contains a fundamental part of the Galactic Universe: Life, Time, and Creation. Legendary Kanohi, unlike Great Kanohi, cannot exist at lower power levels. The destruction of the Legendary Kanohi Vahualsi within the timestream is the reason why time travel is now impossible within the entire Galactic Universe of BIONICLE. External Links *Archived Copy of the 2002 Kanohi Guide from BIONICLE.com Category:Objects Category:Kanohi